Want to Lose Weight? Get some Rest

A Range of Health Concerns Can be Caused by Sleep Disorders

by Simone Rogers, age 16

Many doctors, and many people, are fascinated by the topic of sleep. It seems that people are always either sleeping too much or sleeping too little. Doctors can usually sense that something else is wrong when you can’t sleep. Interestingly, one of the major factors in obesity may be lack of sleep. John Winkelman, an MD/PhD says, “What most people do not realize is that the sleeping habits may be instrumental to the success of any weight management plan.” In addition, Dr. Michael Thorpy, director of the Sleep Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York states, “Any American making a resolution to lose weight, should probably consider a parallel commitment of getting more sleep.” In other words, not sleeping through the night might be a bigger problem than you think. Sleep deprivation and insomnia are big words that basically mean not sleeping. If you have these symptoms, you should get checked out. Sleeplessness may also be associated with high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. According to the American Sleep Disorders Association up to one-third of Americans have symptoms of insomnia. In addition, chronic snoring affects 45% of U.S. citizens and about half of those have sleep apnea. Many of these sleep-related health issues go undiagnosed. Sleep apnea is a major indicator of high blood pressure. It causes you to stop breathing for a few seconds while sleeping. Lack of alertness, stress and poor quality of life are other issues often associated with the risks of not sleeping. The American Sleep Disorder Association identifies eighty- five sleep disorders affecting 70 million Americans. It is important to remember that sleep deprivation is a very serious issue and should be taken seriously.

[Source: webmd.com]

The ability to think like that is awalys a joy to behold – Lesa, The ability to think like that is awalys a joy to behold(2013-01-30 20:49)